Wagon wheels

[Buhar]

As it's too cold for the shed, I'm doing a bit of kitchen-table modelling, attacking my pile of wagon kits. All need new or replacement wheels, which has got me ploughing through books trying to sort out which types to order.

 

It seems PO mineral wagons and pre-grouping wagons usually had split (or open) spoked wheels then, after the grouping, the more standard spoked ones became more prevalent and then finally disc wheels with 3 holes. Wheels could be replaced over time and occasionally mixed on a single vehicle.

 

I know I need to refer to photos where I can, but please can someone confirm my thinking on the general scheme of things?

 

I'm building Slaters/POWsides, Ratio and 51L kits.

 

 

[Pennine MC]

 

It seems PO mineral wagons and pre-grouping wagons usually had split (or open) spoked wheels then, after the grouping, the more standard spoked ones became more prevalent and then finally disc wheels with 3 holes. Wheels could be replaced over time and occasionally mixed on a single vehicle.

 

I know I need to refer to photos where I can, but please can someone confirm my thinking on the general scheme of things?

 

 

General thinking, generally confirmed

 

A lot of common-or-garden wagons were maintained at smaller shops, where a wheelset was a wheelset (pretty much), hence the propensity for mixing

[Tim V]

Depends on your period, ex POs carried split spoke to the end, while ex LMS 13T RCH opens (the ones with steel end stanchions) had disc wheels.

 

You could look in the John Hayes book on the coal wagon, while Geoff Kent's books are also excellent, all from Wild Swan.

[Buhar]

Thanks for that, folks, I've got one of the Geoff Kent ones, but I'm not sure I can invest too much more in more books right now. I'm more of a loco man but want to get the grubby wotsits that go behind reasonably right. Looking at the books I have got, it's quite hard to discern between the two types of spoke.